Well, this fall has been rather slow (and quiet) as far as quality music goes... but I've managed find a small handful of musical gems this month. Here they are, in no particular order:Wicked Game by Giant Drag - the theme from the newest season of nip/tuck, a cover of the Chris Isaak song, and a decent one at that. This one grew on me with time, and is (unfortunately) only available through iTunes at the moment (total drag, considering they have those stiff DRM guidelines).
Stop Me by Mark Ronson - this cover of the Smiths tune is actually pretty rockin' - leave it to the uber producer behind such hit albums as Amy Winehouse's and Lilly Allen's smash albums - I don't know how long I'll be loving this song, but for now it gets my toes tappin'. Ronson, while gifted to a certain extent, proves on this album that he may just be a one-trick pony. But what can you say about a pony when they do a trick this spectacular (and chart-topping)?
Let It Be from the Soundtrack to Across The Universe - It is pretty easy to screw up a Beatles cover, but it can also be equally easy to nail it. In this case, they've gone an extracted the original elements (the church-like gospel organs, etc.) that make the song great, and amped them up... a lot. There are those who view this as a "new" take on the song (and you know who you ams, J. Michael Haas), but it isn't new... just updated.
Break the Ice by Britney Spears - pundits be dammed, this album actually serves up some great pop/dance tracks. I'm especially fascinated by the sloppy, but sexy vocal filters on tracks like Get Naked. Break The Ice, while an enjoyable dance song, will not chart, as the American audience doesn't usually take to happy dance music in the dark, fall times. It is a shame that Billboard and Sound Scan chose to change the rules about album sales charts this week. It used to be that albums only available through limited venues (i.e., the Eagles selling their new album only through Wal Mart) wouldn't be counted. But this week, just when Britney is poised to sit atop the charts, they change the rules, and blam! The Eagles are number one. Me thinks someone over at Billboard is a tad pro-Eagles, or heavily anti-SpearsSomething In Red by Lorrie Morgan - well, it is such a slow music month, I though I'd reach way down, and way back for a song I heard when I was in college, that (sort of) changed my mind about country music. As you might guess, I'm not a big country music fan, but this song is simple, sweet and a perfect example of what a great, storytelling country song can be... just don't tell anyone I said I liked it.
2 comments:
actually giant drag's cover of wicked game is on the re-released version of their album called hearts and unicorns. you have to look at the track listing on the back, its the last song
Uh, OK. But, #1, I'm talking about iTurds releases vs. the actual CDs, so I can't look on the back of anything.
#2 I knew that. I didn't say it was new, as in brand-new, but it is new in the sense that it isn't the original version.
#3 I grabbed the version of the ORIGINAL "Hearts & Unicorns," because I don't understand the re-release
And most of all: I didn't mention the album, because I'm not making the album my pick for the month, just the song.
But thanks for playing.
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